Institutional innovations in the delivery of farm services in India : a smallholder perspective

"This book uses primary evidence to assess the value of agro-input and service delivery business models in terms of their inclusiveness, effectiveness and impact from a small farmer perspective, in the form of case studies in three Indian states: Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The services discussed include custom rental of farm machinery and equipment, franchising for backward and forward linkage for farmers and the supermarkets for delivery of farm inputs, and extension services. The book examines agro-input and service delivery business models as institutional innovations for inclusive and effective delivery of such services in the small farmer context, based on primary data from the agencies designing and implementing such models and the farmers who make use of these inputs and services. Further, it identifies major issues and challenges in the delivery of farm inputs and services across regions and types of farmers and examines possible policy and enabling provisions to promote cost-effective and high-quality agro-input delivery channels."-- Provided by publisher Foreword 5 Preface 7 Acknowledgements 9 Contents 11 About the Author 13 Abbreviations 15 List of Tables 17 1 Introduction 25 1.1 Background and Context 25 1.2 Objectives 34 1.3 Methodology 34 1.4 Chapterisation 36 2 Sale, Purchase, and Use of Agro-Inputs and Services in India: A Review 37 2.1 Custom Rentals of Farm Machinery and Equipment 37 2.2 Profile and Behaviour of Customers of Modern Rural Supermarkets 40 2.2.1 Seed Purchase and Use 43 2.2.2 Pesticides 48 2.2.3 Selection of Brand 51 2.2.4 Problems in Pesticide Market 51 2.3 Fertilizer 51 2.4 Extension 55 2.5 Summary 56 3 Farm Machinery Rental Services: Case Studies from Punjab 57 3.1 Introduction 57 3.2 Methodology 58 3.3 Private Agro-Machinery Rental Service Providers: A Profile of ZFS 59 3.4 PACS AMSCs 64 3.5 Farmer Level Assessment of Custom Rental Service Providers 71 3.5.1 ZFS Franchise Services 71 3.5.2 ZFS and Local Source Farmers 78 3.5.3 PACS Farmers 81 3.5.4 Local Source Farmers 85 3.6 Summary 88 Appendix 91 4 Supermarket Retailing of Agro-Inputs: A Case Study from Uttar Pradesh 95 4.1 Introduction: Context, Profile, and Business Model of Hydric 95 4.2 Methodology 98 4.3 Major Findings 100 4.4 Summary 144 Appendix 174 5 Agro-franchising for Farm Input and Market Linkage Delivery: A Case Study from Bihar 184 5.1 Rationale for Agrobusiness Franchising 184 5.2 Agrobusiness Franchising in India 188 5.3 Methodology 193 5.4 GAPL and its Franchisee Profile 193 5.5 The Franchisee Model 199 5.6 Farmer-Level Assessment of Franchise Operations 203 5.7 Summary 228 Appendix 247 6 Summary, Conclusions, and Policy Implications 252 6.1 Introduction and Approach 252 6.2 Major Findings 254 6.2.1 Agro-Machinery Rental Services in Punjab 254 6.2.2 Agro-input Supermarket in Uttar Pradesh 257 6.2.3 Agro-franchising in Bihar 260 6.3 Policy Implications 264 References 266 Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiv Introduction (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 1-12 Sale, Purchase, and Use of Agro-Inputs and Services in India: A Review (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 13-32 Farm Machinery Rental Services: Case Studies from Punjab (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 33-70 Supermarket Retailing of Agro-Inputs: A Case Study from Uttar Pradesh (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 71-159 Agro-franchising for Farm Input and Market Linkage Delivery: A Case Study from Bihar (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 161-228 Summary, Conclusions, and Policy Implications (Sukhpal Singh)....Pages 229-242 Back Matter ....Pages 243-246